Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention

Updated February 03, 2010

Introduction

The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL 83-566), August 4, 1954, as amended, authorized NRCS to cooperate with States and local agencies to carry out works of improvement for soil conservation and for other purposes including flood prevention; conservation, development, utilization and disposal of water; and conservation and proper utilization of land.

NRCS implements the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act through three programs:

• Watershed Surveys and Planning
• Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Operations
• Watershed Rehabilitation

Watershed Operations

Watershed Operations is a voluntary program which provides assistance to sponsoring local organizations of authorized watershed projects, planned and approved under the authority of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954 (P.L. 83-566), and 11 designated watershed authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 (P.L. 78-534).  NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to States, local governments and Tribes (project sponsors) to implement authorized watershed project plans for the purpose of watershed protection; flood mitigation; water quality improvements; soil erosion reduction; rural, municipal and industrial water supply; irrigation water management; sediment control; fish and wildlife enhancement; and wetlands and wetland function creation and restoration.

There are over 1,300 active or completed watershed projects. More Information

Flood Prevention Program (PL 78-534)

The Flood Control Act of December 22, 1944 authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to install watershed improvement measures to reduce flood, sedimentation, and erosion damages; further the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water; and the conservation and proper utilization of land.More Information

Watershed Rehabilitation

Local communities, with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) assistance, have constructed over 11,000 dams in 47 states since 1948. More Information

A Locally Led Program

Project sponsors are provided assistance in installing planned land treatment measures when plans are approved. Surveys and investigations are made and detailed designs, specifications, and engineering cost estimates are prepared for construction of structural measures. Areas where sponsors need to obtain land rights, easements, and rights-of-way are delineated. Technical assistance is also furnished to landowners and operators to accelerate planning and application of needed conservation measures on their individual land units.   More Information  

Program Manual and Handbook

The documents below require Adobe Acrobat Reader    

National Watershed Program Manual (PDF, 2.81MB)

National Watershed Program Handbook (PDF, 80KB)

State Watershed Web Pages

The following states have information about their watersheds available online:

Program Information by Fiscal Year

FY 2009 Updates

FY 2009 Updates

FY 2006 Data

FY 2005 Data

Additional Information

Program Contact

Marvin Brown, National Watershed Program Leader, 202-690-2819

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